The Chronicles of James North
by TheChroniclerJon
Summary: Peter is a Fae Prince, and has enslaved much of Neverland. A former Lost Boy has managed to see through Pan's glamour and escape. This is the Chronicle of that boy, Jimmy Northstar, written in the final days of his life.
1. Prologue, or a Coma Dream

"Come on, Jimmy! You know it's useless to fight!"

The unbroken shrill of a boy's voice echoed within the cave, eventually falling to drown in the inky slosh below. The pounding of blood and rage in my ears made it difficult to hear him. I had wrapped quick a strap cut loose of my vestments around my right arm, just above the wrist. The fiery pain of a thousand sparking wires writhed across the phantom fingers and burned hot the hand which was no longer. Vaguely, I heard him muttering his dark curses and vile conjurations. A saurian roar followed, and then the more welcome arrival of my noisome crew. They were brave, these men and women who followed me, and they half-dragged me to the launch. I had fallen into shock, although at the time I only noted how very distant and unimportant everything was. I do remember two things most clearly, though.

I remember Smee, standing bold before a behemoth of tooth and scale, throwing something down its gullet and screaming defiance...

...and I remember Peter Pan standing on the dank cave wind, crowing his unholy victory to the stalactites above and the stars beyond.


	2. The Capriciousness of Names

Names are such frightfully capricious things. You name something (or someone) and that name shapes your thoughts, influences your opinions, and generally stifles real impression-making. For example, say that chocolate were instead called bean curd. Or a judge, rather than being called "The Honorable Judge So-and-So" were instead referred to as, "Wig-Wearer and Hammer-Slammer, So-and-So."

This isn't _pure_ diversion, I assure you. _My_ name was once Jimmy Northstar. Unerring was my sense of direction, my ability to read the night sky and take my bearings from it's twinkling splendor. Later, I became James North... then Captain North... and now...

There are things that they never tell you about children's stories. The root of it, its reasons for being. Everything, after all, needs _purpose_. Do you recall the story of "The Pied Piper"? Modern renditions would have you believe that the piper held the town's children hostage until he received payment, but the original story had him merrily piping the children to their watery deaths in a raging river. Truly a story to show why it is important to keep your word and pay your debts. "Little Red Riding Hood" has the young girl getting directions to grandmother's house from the wolf, which she follows. The wolf then eats her. End. No woodsman, no grandma, no happily ever after. Just a stark warning to not take advice from strangers.

You know the modern version of Peter Pan's tale. I'm going to tell you the truth.

My name is Captain James North, known by history as Captain James of the Hook, or more simply as Captain Hook. I know Pan better than any who'll tell. I am his archenemy, his rival, his foil and his torment, and I was once his follower.

Jimmy Northstar, Lost Boy.

Captain Hook, Pirate.

See how names can be dreadfully useless things?


	3. Some Populations of Neverland

The most important thing to remember about Neverland is that it is both real and unreal. Neverland is a manifestation of childish imagination, a riot of whimsy magically given physical form. Physics are guidelines to be observed, not laws to be subject to, and all denizens of Neverland must realize this.

Of course, those most easily able to utilize this truth are children. Trusting and naïve, the youth of all peoples are readily adaptable and willing to go against the physical laws under whose tyranny they've always lived. Aboriginals and natives of unspoiled lands also find it easier to adapt than, say, a modern Englishman. Their connection to the Dreamlands and the spirituality of their people give them a firm base for understanding Neverland.

As such, Neverland has an interesting assortment of populations, ranging from the feral children kept under Pan's sway (who my crew refer to collectively as the "Lost Boys") to a tribe of indigenous who call themselves the Bilapiluutche and allow others to call them Crow. Within and around this fantastical archipelago there also exist mermaids, beasts and birds of varying sapience, and the Fae.

It is the Fae whom I feel the most pity and the deepest loathing for. It is from their ranks that Pan was born, and it was through their weakness that he was allowed to rise in station; more on that later.

The Fae refer to an allied collection of races native to Neverland. They vary widely in size and ability, but generally have a somewhat human appearance with fine features and fair coloring. The tops of their ears tend to come to a point rather than be rounded as yours and mine are, and each possesses an ability drawn from either dream or nightmare.

The most ubiquitous of the Fae is also the tiniest, and humans know them as the Fairies. They stand as tall as a man's palm with wide, gossamer wings similar to a dragonfly's. They are well-formed, the women pretty and the men handsome. Flight is their primary means of locomotion, although they are capable of walking, crawling, and so forth.

Similarly to the Fairies are the Pixies. The Pixies are primarily subterranean and rarely surface far beyond their burrows and mines. They are shy creatures, and use the Fairies as their business intermediaries with the outside world. The Pixies are famous for mining metals and gems, and their smithing knows no equal. They are also infamous for processing a drug known as Pixie Dust, which expands the mind and lowers inhibition.

There are a myriad of Fae I could expound upon, for I have spent much of my time before returning to Neverland in the study of human myth and folklore. However, let's get right to it and answer the question you may or may not have thought to ask. Namely, "What type of Fae is Peter Pan?"

Remember what I said earlier regarding the twisted modern renditions of tales, with their sanitized beginnings and endings. Some parts are made wholly from poppy dreams and absinthe-fueled phantasms. This, however, is the truth.

The closest creature I found in my research to match Pan's varied abilities and talents is the Vampire. Clearly, this is not a perfect match. Pan does not sustain himself on blood (to the best of my knowledge), nor does he transform into either bat or wolf. However, he does drain the life of his Lost Boys (the source of his unending youth). He flies through the air, nimble as a bat, and slips through the forest with the stealth of the wolf. He is persuasive to the point of glamour, and those he feeds from are intensely loyal to him. He also only crosses over to Earth during the dark of night, although Neverland's day holds no power over him.

As I said, this is an imperfect match (and Neverland's Wampyres resemble him no closer than Earth's version) and more an academic point than anything that offers tactical advantage. Pan could well be unique amongst the Fae, and that is why he should have been destroyed.


End file.
